Apparatus for generating steam.



MARSHALL. APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 10, 1918.

1,078,545, Patented Nov. 11

G. MARSHALL. APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM. APPLICATION I'ILBD MAY 10, 1913.

1,078,545. Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

G. MARSHALL. APBARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, 1913.

Patented Nov; 11, 1913.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

G. MARSHALL. APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM.

1 1 11 11 1 111111 1 1 111 111 1 I 11 11 1 11 1 1 1 1 1 n 1 111111 111 1 11 1 11/1111/114/ 0 1 /1 1 /1/ I11 l/1 1/111/1 1 111 1 1 1 1 Patented Nov. 11, 1913.-

N o ye 1%76ZQZZ APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, 1913.

I LQ G. MARSHALL.

- APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, 1913.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 6v Patented Nov. 11,1913.

GEORGE HARSHAIiL, 0F FREMONT, NEBRASKA.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

Application filed May 10, 3,913. Serial No. 766,840.-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE MARSHALL, a citizen of the United States, residing in Fremont, in the county of Dodge and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Generating-Steam, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide means for generating steam, using as a heating agent air at a high temperature and under compression.

' There a steam boiler is heated by a fire beneath it, the lowerportion or bottom of the boiler is heated to a'much greater extent than the uper portion thereof and this is true even w en fire tubes lead the products of combustion through the boiler. Furthermore, in the usual practice the-.fire is necessarily located adjacent the boiler whichis sometimes undesirable. I have provided means whereby the furnace may be located at some point remote from the boiler and whereb the heat may be distributed un'iforml'y around and th'rou h the boiler so as to obtain the greatest e ciency, and I do this by first compressin air, then heating it to a high temperature, t on recompressing it to increase the heat and pressure, and then supplying this hot compressed air to a shell surrounding the boiler at a sufiiciently high is temperature to generate steam. .The air conveyed from the shell, reheated and recompressed and this operation is continued indefinitely;l

More specifically my invention consists in providing a furnace in which compressed air is heated, a compressor inwhichthis hot compressed air is recompressed to increase its temperature and to cause-it to circulate, a steam bbiler, and a shell surrounding the boiler especially adapted to receive and-discharge the hot, compressed air as it circulates. Any suitable means may be employed for heating the air. In some caseselectric heaters may be used, but preferably- I employ a furnace havin at one end a fire chamber and at the ot er end a smoke box and discharge pipe for the products of combustion and which is connected with the fire box by tubes, which tubes extend through a chamber to which air is admitted and from which it is discharged. The hot air-"thus produced is conveyed to an air comressor driven b a steam e inc and this compressor is so constructed that airis drawn into it from the heater, is compressed and then transmitted to a steam boiler surrounded by an lnsulated casing or shell and having tubes which convey compressed air .portable boiler suiiicien't to drive the steam engine which operates the compressor. By means of this portable boiler the engine which drives the compressor may be operated to fill the system with compressed air and after the apparatus is thus started, this portable boiler may be disconnected and the apparatus will operate as long as fire is kept up in the furnace.

Other features of my invention and the details of construction will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings :-Fig11re 1 is a perspective view of the heater, the compressor, its engine and the boiler constructed and connected in accordance with my invention. Other minorfeatures of the apparatus are also illustrated. Fig. 2 shows a vertical central section through a heater which is preferably employed. Fig. 3 shows a vertical section on the line 3- 3 of Fig. Fig. i is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical central section of the air compressor and its engine. Fig. 5 is a detail view in section ofa valve which may be used on thecompressor. Fig. 6" is a plan view of the compressor and its driving engine. Fig. 7 is a view on an enlarged scale and in .horizontal section of the engine which drives the compressor. Fig. 8 shows a vertical section on the line 88 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a detail view in section of the pisit is supported electric heater may be used, but in operating on a large scale I preferably employa heater of the kind shown, which comprises a fire box A at one end of the furnace, and a. smoke box A at the opposite end thereof,

the fire box and smoke box being connected by fire tubes A which extend throughan air chamber A". The casing a for the air cham-' her is closed at opposite endsas shown and by standards a. of any suitable construction. The several casings are suitably insulated, as indicated at w, to retain heat.

. with a smoke pipe A jwhile the the box is is providedwith a-valve e 79 opening into is mounted on a standard B ported and air chamber A, and

the compressor.

' formed with two passages b, b

equipped with a suitable grate, doors, etc. E indicates a pipe for admitting air to the E indicates a pipe for conveying air from the air chamber A to These pipes are suitably insulated, 'as'indicated at e and the pipe E- while the ipe E is rovided with asimilar valve 6 t aid pipe comprises a stationary piston 13 anda reciprocating cylinder B The piston B is one of which, 7), communicates with the air entrance pipe E while the other, I), communicates with an exit pipe F which leads to the boiler shell I). The passage 6 is provided with avalve the cylinder of the compressor and the passage 1) is provided with a valve If opening outwardto permit com-' pressed air to enter the'pipe F.v The pipe F is provided with a valve 1 and should be in sulated in the same manner that the pipes E, E are insulated; The piston B is supported on a suitable standard 13, and 'as before stated, is stationary- The cylinder B which is en guided by a grooved plate. mounted on the bed plate B, the arrangement being such that the cylinder will be sustained and held inproper alinement with the piston while being supported and guided by the grooved plate B.

As considerable'heat is produced and developed in the compressor I provide means for cooling the piston B'. For this purpose I preferably employ a receptacle G, to which water is supplied through a pipe connection and from which'jt passes bypipe 17 through a spraying D the shell of the boiler or.

The smoke box communicates leads to the air compressor B which rates the cylinder of branch pipe N device 9 shown in detail in Fig. 12. The piston may be oiled by a lubricator H of suitable construction. dicates a valve (shown in'detail in Fig. 5) which under certain conditions allows air to enter the compressor from the atmosphere. It is through this valve that air is admitted to start the system.

The cylinder B suitable way, but preferably by means of a steamengine C constructed in the way illustrated in the drawings. As shown, the piston C of this engine is connected by its rod G with the end of the cylinder B and may be reciprocaed in any of course as the piston reciprocates the cylinder of the compressor is correspondingly reciprocated.

As'shown more particularly in Fig. 7 the engine cylinder is provided with admission ports a, c and exhaust ports 0 0 The admission ports are controlled by slide valves C, C while the exhaust ports are controlled by slide valves C, C. These valves operate in suitable valvechambers C C C C, the valves C C being connected witha valve-operating rod C and the valves C,,

C being connected with an operating rod C The rod C is coupled with a slotted plate J cooperating with a pin j'secured. to the casing K. of the compressor cylinder B It will be understood that the compressor cylinder is surrounded by insulating material ]s' inclosed ingfis provided with laterally fiang'es'k carrying'pins j, j.

projecting I The slotted plateJ "cooperates with the pin j, as before stated, while a slotted plate J cooperating with the'pin 9", is coupled with the valve rod C As the engine operates and recipromovements are given to theseveral valves to regulate and control the admission and exhaust. -L, L indicate valved pipes for supplying steam to'the engine through the admission valves and L",L indicate exhaust pipes.

M indicates is connected by'means with the pipes L, L to the engine when started. The pipe N leading to the steam space of the boiler or generator D and also comof. thepipes N and n ,for supplying steam niunicates with branch pipes N N through in the casing K, and this casa small portable boiler which the compressor prope'r I the apparatus is firstcommunicates with awhich steam may be conveyed to any desired points. The pipe F, before referred to, conveys the hot compressed air to the shell D. This pipe should be properly prevent the loss of heat. It enters the shell at one end and the hot compressed air delivered to the shell passes throu h it. and is conveyed by means of the pipe back to the heater A where its temperature is raised and from which it is again conveyed to the compressor, where the heat is increased by reason of the compression and from which-it insulated to j generator comprises a vmetal casing D,

which is inclosed by insulating material (1. Within this. casing there is a boiler D provided with a steam dome d and a sediment receptacle 0?. The sediment receptacle communicates with a draw-off pipe 03 while the steam dome communicates with the pipe N, before referred to.

D indicates a man-hole, provided with suitable closing devices, and D indicate tubes which pass through the boiler and are connected with the heads or ends thereof,

' in the manner shown.

P indicates a steam gage, Q an air pressure gage, S a thermometer and R a water gage.

D indicates a manhole closed in any suitable Way.

Water may be supplied to the boiler by any suitable apparatus, as by means of an injector or a water supply pump T, of any suitable construction. The water gage R is connected, as indicated by r (Fig. 13) with the water space and steam space of the boiler and the pressure gage P is 'connected with the steam dome dby a pipeconnection p. By this apparatus the hot compressed air which is supplied to the generator is made to act uniformly around and through the water chamber and thus the water is more quickly and more thoroughly heated and steam is more easily produced. Furthermore, the boiler may be remote from the furnace so that it is not subjected/directly to the products of combustion and L0 is hence less liableto injury and requires less frequent repair.

The engine C for driving the compressor may be operated as either a single acting or a double acting engine, and

;, in starting the apparatus fresh or cold air is pumped into the system through the valve '1 and made to surround the boiler.

At this time the valve isclosed and the engine C is operated as a double acting engine, steam being admitted properly at opposite ends of the cylinder and properly exhausted. This operation is continued until the air in the space surrounding the boiler and the air in the heater reaches as high a pressure as can be obtained. Then the furnace A is brought into operation and the valve .2 is opened so that the air is free to circulate throughout the entiresystem. Thevalve 1 in the, pipe L may be closed and the valve l in the pipe L is partly closed and the engine C operated as a single acting engine, ,the pressure of air in the compressor being suflicient to return the piston C to the outer end of its cylinder.

The exhaust pipe L is suitably throttled to prevent air pressure from jamming the piston back. The compressing, recompressing, heating and reheating is continued until the steam is generated in the boiler D then the small boiler M may be cut olf by means of the valve n and steam may be taken from the boiler D to operate the engine C and steam may also be taken through the pipes N N B to supply other'engines or other apparatus. After the apparatus is once started and steam is produced in the boil-er the operation may be continued indefinitely but of course it involves the consumption of fuel or the consumption of energy of some kind to heat the air supplied to the compressor.

Referring again to the engine C, as before stated it may be operated as a single actmg engine, in which case the valves C and .C are employed and the valves C and C may be disregarded. Fig. 7 of the drawings shows the admission valve C open and the exhaust valve C closed. The piston will be driven'to the opposite end of the cylinder by the steam admitted at c and the piston travels to nearly its full length beforethe valves are moved. When the piston has arrived at nearly the end of its stroke the pin 5' first engages the slotted plate and the admission valve (1* is closed; {then the 'pin jengages the slotted plate J and the eashaust valve G is opened. On the return stroke the piston travels to near the limit of its movement to the left'as viewed in the drawvings and the, pin 52 engages the slotted plate J and'closes the exhaust valve C and then the pin j=engages the'slotted plate J .andopens the admission valve C and the operation continues as before. At this time it will be understood that the valve Z is closed and the valve Z is throttled. It will be understood that the engine is first oper ated as a double acting engine to fill the system withair which is put under compression. Afterward it. is operated as a single acting engine, in the manner just described. It will also be understood that the piston is driven in one direction by steam admitted to it through the port 0 and the piston is returned by com ressing air -in the compressor B. At this time the exhaust pipe L is throttled in order that'the piston may not be returned-too suddenly or jammed against the end of the cylinder by the movement given to it by the compressed air. When the-engine is operating as adouble acting engine the admission pipes L, L and the exhaust pipes L L are all open'but are controlled by the valves G, C, C", C. In this case, as shown in Fig. 7, the admission valve C is open while the admission valve C is closed when the piston is in the position shown and at this time also the exhaust valve C is closed and the exhaust valve C is open. Just before the piston has reached sion port, is

- gages tion.

the limit of its stroke to the right the pin 9' engages the slotted plate J and the admisfirst closed and this closure is completed before the admission valve C is open. At the. same time the pin j en the slotted plate J and the exhaust valve C is opened' and the exhaust valve C closed. On the return vstroke the four valves are operated in a similar way. I prefer to employ this kind of an engine, but obviously. engines of other types may be used for operating the compressor and it is also obvious that other kinds of compressors may be used, but that shown is preferred.

The details of construction of other parts of the apparatus may be varied without departing from the main features of my inven- But I would say further that the tubes A of the heater and the pipes that connect the heater with the shell of the boiler are of cast iron.

The drawings show only one boiler with its shell but it is obvious that several boilers with suitable shells could be placed side by .side and connected with the heating and circulating system. It will beunderstood that the apparatus is so operated as to keep the whole system filled with air under high pressure and this compressed air is reheated and recompressed continually during the process.

I claim as my invention 1. An apparatus for generating steam, comprising a heater, a compressor to which compressed air thereto,

the heated air is conveyed, -meansfor operating said compressor, a boiler, means forconveying' the hot com ressed airfrom the compressor. to the boi necting said boiler with the heater for conveying-air from the boiler to the heater.

2. An apparatus for generating steam,

comprising a 'heater'to which air is admitted, a compressor receiving hot air from the heater, means for drivlng the compressor, a

er, and means conboiler, its shell, a connection between the compressor and'the shell for supplying hot and a connection be tween the shell and the heater for conveying air from the shell to the heater.

3. An apparatus for generating steam, comprisinga heater, a compressor to which the heated air is conveyed, a steam engine for operating the compressor, a steam boiler for starting and operating the steam engine until the apparatus is supplied with compressed air, meansfor connecting the. start: ing boiler with the engine and for disconnecting it therefrom, a boiler, its shell,means for conveying the hot compressed air'from the compressor to the boiler shell, and means connecting said shell with the heater for GEORGE MARSHALL. Witnesses I S. S. SIDNER, EARL J. LEE.

Copies of this patent maybe obtainedfor five cents each, by addressing the Commissitnr of Patents,

' P Washington, D. 0. 

